Freek’s impressive criminal record makes a fair conviction that spans at least several decades. In reality, the blond boy, dressed in a neat sweater, is only 21 years old. Because of his nuisance trade and walk, he has been registered with an institution for assisted living for some time, but they haven’t seen him there for a while. He has been staying in the PI Zaanstad for a few weeks, awaiting yet another approval. Different from today’s.

“How are you?” The judge requests them through the digital file.

“Super good”, says Freek.

It is clearly not the answer the judge expected. She looks at him in surprise.

“Very well?”

Frank nods.

“That’s not exactly the image I get of you when I read your file,” said the judge. Your mother recently passed away… Your relationship has ended, on the last of your girlfriend’s parents, I understand…”

“That was all last year,” says Freek. “Now things are going great.”

In addition to Freek, co-defendant Steven was also expected today, but he did not appear for reasons. According to the public prosecutor, a number of ground cables are being built together from a number of ground cables, although Gratis denies all extensions.

“It’s really silly, but I really have nothing to do with this,” he says. “You could just see that. The moment we were covered by the police, Steven was completely covered in mud. Not me. I was completely clean and tidy. I’ve never been on that construction site.”

A man cycling past the unlit construction site in Aalsmeer one evening notices that the gate is open. In the dark he sees two people loading material into a van. Two notices that they have been spotted seem to startle them. They rush into their van and take off like a rocket. The attentive bicycle belt tells the police that it is a blue Ford Transit.

Fifteen minutes later, that van will be. Behind the wheel is Steven, next to him is Free and in the back is a collection of ground cables and bolt cutters that could have been put to good use cutting the fence with the construction site closed.

“If you haven’t been to that construction site, how did you get into that van?”

The judge’s question is quite obvious, but nevertheless Freek does not seem to see it coming. In fits and starts he tells a short story about a move to Amsterdam where he would have lost sight of him for some time when he was outside smoking a butt and making a phone call. According to Freek, Steven must have been able to commit the theft during that time. Then he would have been picked up by him again.

“Where in Amsterdam was that exactly?” the judge wants to know.

“I really wouldn’t know,” says Freek.

“So your co-defendant drove from the construction site in Aalsmeer to Amsterdam, picked you up there, and then drove to Hoofddorp, where you were together. And all that within fifteen minutes.”

Frank nods.

“My client is not very well known in Amsterdam,” his lawyer comes to his aid. “Perhaps he thinks he was in Amsterdam that evening, but the move actually took place in Aalsmeer.”

“You mean he has Aalsmeer for Amsterdam?” asks the judge in disbelief. “It was dark,” the lawyer added. The judge does not believe anything of the story and Free attitude in court also feels visibly bad to her. “You’ve had chance after chance in the past, but did nothing with it at all,” she says. “I think the two months in prison demanded by the officer is far too low.”

Instead, they sentenced young Freek to four months in prison, plus another eight weeks for the two sentences still hanging over his head. His co-defendant has to sit down for ten weeks.